Vented seat cushion



Feb. 6, 1951 K A, BOSTRQM 2,540,927

VENTED SEAT CUSHION Filed March 17, 194'? INVENTOR. Kael. f?. Boar/ecm' l m mkug @Frog/VE? Patented Feb. 6, 1,951

VENTED SEAT CUSHION Karl A.. Bostrom, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Bestron: Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 17, 1947, Serial N o. 735,081

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in seat cushions adapted for use Where exposed to the elements.

Such cushions are employed on tractors, farm carry-alls, plow sullries, and the like, and when not in use are often left upside down or on edge in order to keep the top dry in the event of rain. However, rain water enters the cushion through the customary air vent openings and wets the padding and cushioning unit. The cushioning unit either rusts and quickly deteriorates, shortening the life of the seat or becomes temporarily or permanently soggy and useless.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a vented cushion which may be left outof-doors in a position designed to shelter its top from rain and which will prevent rain from entering its interior through the air Vents.

This object is obtained by providing an air vent in any wall or boxing of the cover and positioning a flap or guard so that it lies over and is spaced from such vent. At least one edge of the flap is unsecured. The flap thus provides a free entrance and exit for air but forms a labyrinth preventing water and moisture from directly entering the air vent.

The novel features, which are considered characteristic of the invention, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a seat cushion embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View of a portion of the section of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, the seat cushion I in its general aspects is of customary design. It has a base board II of plywood, the corners of which are provided with metal corner plates I2 to protect the base board and provide a means for holding the cushion in place on a support. A border wire I3 for framing the spring or other cushioning unit is stapled as at I4 to the base board II.` Springs I5 have their bases positioned on and stapled to the base board II. The tops of the springs I5 are connected between springs and to the frame by hog rings lli 2 I6. A iiexible material I1 covers the tops of the springs I5. Padding of the customary kind is inserted between the material I'I and an intermediate cotton fabric layer I8. In piace of a spring unit there may be substituted a rubber cushioning unit or a cushioning unit of cotton, jute, felt, or other springy padding. A cover of artificial leather extends from the front edge of the base board Ii to form a front wall 20, a top I9, and a rear wall 2l. The ends of the seat are closed with boxing 22 formed of artificial leather which are united to the edges of walls 20 and 2| and top I9 by a welt 23 also formed of artificial leather. Padding may also be inserted r between the top I9 and the layer I8.

In order to control the rebound action of the seat top it is necessary t0 provide for the governed flow of air into the interior of the cushion. Such flow of air is controlled by the size of the air vent or vents in relationship to the total cubic volume of air space within the seat. Usually these vents are placed in the plywood base. However, when the seat is temporarily stored upside down, in order to keep the top from getting wet if it should rain, water enters through such air vents directly to the interior and wets the springs or other cushioning units and inner fabric parts of the cushion. To avoid this the front wall 2li is provided with two air vents 24 spaced on each side of the center of the seat. These Vents are designed to permit the air to readily escape as the seat is depressed and yet will throttle the return of air so as to control the rebound of the seat. In order to prevent entry of rain into the vents 24 there is provided a. flap or guard 25 which extends longitudinally of the front face 20 and covers the vents 24. The upper and lower edges of the flap 25 are stitched as at 26 to the front wall 2IJ. The central portion of the flap 25 is bowed and spaced from the wall 20 to provide a passageway between the flap 25 and the front wall 20. The ends of flap 25 are unsecured and form, with the wall, openings for such passageway. It will be seen that the vents 24 are spaced a considerable distance from such openings and for all practical purposes this forms a labyrinth which will keep the rain from reaching the vents and penetrating into the interior of the cushion. The flap may be extended around a corner of the seat to further increase the effectiveness of the labyrinth.

Although only one embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein, it will be understood that this application is intended to cover such changes or modifications as come within the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims:

1. In a seat cushion of the type employing cushioning unit, a covei` for said cushion, an air vent formed in the cover of said cushion, a flap positioned over said vent and secured to said cover, said ap forming with said cover a laby rinth-like passageway, said flap being secured to said'cover along only'two of the edges and being slightly spaced from said cover, said passageway extending from the unsecured edges of the said flap to said vent.

2. In a cushion of the type employing an internal cushioning unit, ac'over for 'said cushion having a vertical wall, a vent in said wall intermediate the ends thereof, an elongated flap secured'to said Wall and overlyingfsaid vent, said ap having its longitudinal edges secured to said cover, said flap being bowed intermediate 'said edges to space its inner surface from said wall to lprovide a passageway therebetween, an edge of `sa'idfflap being adjacent an edge of said wall and spaced therefrom to provide an opening for said passageway.

31.111 a cushion having an'inner' cushioning Y unit, a-cover for said'cushion having a 'front-wall 4 wall, the upper and lower edges of said guard being stitched to said front wall, said guard being bowed transversely to space the inner surface thereof from the surface of said front wall to provide a passageway extending from an edge Yof said front wall to said vent.

4. In a cushion having an inner cushioning unit, aV cover for saidcushion including a front wall formed Aof flexible material, an air vent in said front wall spaced from the ends thereof, a flap formed from material of the same general -characteristics as said front Wall and secured thereto, said iiap being transversely bowed to provide an aii passageway between said flap and said wall and extending longitudinally of said flap from said vent toV an end of said flap.

KARL A. BOSTROM.

REFERENCES CITED 'The following references are of re'cordin the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Armstrong May 21, v19.46 

